Enjoying Life's Sweetness

Greek Yogurt Honey Lemon Muffins

Lemons will forever remind me of my big, fluffy, fat (I mean, well-fed) white cat, Mr. Noners. Now, I’m not a huge cat person. I mean, if someone offered me a kitty, I definitely wouldn’t say no. BUT there are about a thousand other animals I’d prefer over cats (99% of which would not be considered appropriate house pets).

Anyway, Noners is the exception to all other typical cranky cats. For starters, he thinks he’s a dog, partly because he grew up with two giant Labrador retrievers (the other part, well… I’m still not quite sure). He used to roam around with them as if he was part of the gang. The dog gang. Yep, just him and his fellow dog friends, doing their favorite dog activities.

He and I were attached to each other. We did everything together (well, except when he was hanging out with the dogs, of course). We’d run together. We’d shower together. Yep, you read that right. We’d even ride my scooter together. We were the dynamic duo. Bonnie and Clyde, if you will.

When I was younger, I was definitely a tom-boy at heart. I loved hot wheels, video games, and of course, my super cool red razor scooter. Noners and I would ride around all day. It was our favorite thing to do. I’d sling him over my shoulder and there we went. Riding around, chasing the dogs, and eating lemons. I guess, this story would make more sense if I mentioned the giant lemon tree at my old house. It was massive and always had millions of perfectly yellow lemons. I loved it. And, so did Noners.

Greek Yogurt Honey Lemon Muffins

These muffins make the perfect breakfast, snack, or after-dinner treat. They are tangy from the fresh lemon juice & zest, moist from the greek yogurt, and glazed to perfection.

Ingredients

¼ cup canola oil (or any neutral oil)

½ cup granulated sugar

1 egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup honey

1 & ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup plain greek yogurt (I use full fat)

2 tablespoon lemon juice

Zest from 1 large lemon (2-3 tablespoons – I use 3)

Glaze:

1 cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

4 teaspoons water

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions

-Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake liners (I like the parchment paper ones) OR thoroughly spray with non-stick oil. Set aside.

-In a large bowl, whisk together oil and granulated sugar. Add egg, vanilla extract, and honey. Whisk together until everything is fully incorporated.

-Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix together until incorporated. You want to make sure that the dry ingredients are completely mixed together with the wet. However, it’s important to not mix longer than necessary.

-Mix in the yogurt. Then add the lemon juice and lemon zest until just combined (not overmixing).

-Carefully scoop 3 tablespoons of batter into prepared muffin pan. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs.

-Let muffins cool in pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Glaze:

-Once the muffins are completely cool, make the glaze.

-In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, water, and lemon juice. Mix well. Then use a spoon to pour the glaze over each muffin.

Additional Notes:

-It is important that the egg is room temperature. To do so, place the egg in warm water for 5-10 minutes.

-The amount of zest is entirely up to you. If you prefer a stronger lemon taste, then definitely use the whole 3 tablespoons.